Dice Our Shenanigans

[Katsuya]

- Frozen Mine -
"Night Time, Mysterious Portal, Heart of Windshear Mountains"​

”Deny the obvious? No, but what I said just now and a few seconds ago is the first time I even complimented your looks.”

Once Moss buried himself in his sleeping bag, Isa’s impish grin wiped off. Leaving a pondering look as he stared at the blushing cocoon merman.

Once again, Moss felt a soft hit from Isa’s sleeping bag on his side. “I would appreciate it if you stopped believing that I would when I haven‘t even flirted with you in the first place. You don’t know what I’ll do when I’m flirting.”

Zer0

 

[Zer0]

- Frozen Mine -
"Night Time, Mysterious Portal, Heart of Windshear Mountains"​

"No, you'll just tease by putting your nose close to mine." said the muffled merman cocoon. "Alright, alright," Moss added airily, "I'll stop assuming."

Katsuya

 

[Katsuya]

- Frozen Mine -
"Night Time, Mysterious Portal, Heart of Windshear Mountains"​

“To surprise you.” Isa grumbled. His eyes narrowed again. “I’m serious, Moss.”

Zer0

 

[Zer0]

- Frozen Mine -
"Night Time, Mysterious Portal, Heart of Windshear Mountains"​

"Alright." said Moss simply.

Katsuya

 

[Katsuya]

- Frozen Mine -
"Night Time, Mysterious Portal, Heart of Windshear Mountains"​

Isa hit Moss with his sleeping bag again.

Zer0

 

[Zer0]

- Frozen Mine -
"Night Time, Mysterious Portal, Heart of Windshear Mountains"​

The cocoon merman shook in laughter.

Katsuya

 

[Katsuya]

- Frozen Mine -
"Night Time, Mysterious Portal, Heart of Windshear Mountains"​

Isa huffed. Looking to the side as he listened to Moss’ laughter. His glare softening. Even his next hit with his sleeping bag didn’t feel as purposeful as before.

”. . .I can’t believe we just argued about flirting after sending an extinct animal’s soul to rest and hugging about my gross hands.” Then he plopped his face in said hands, letting go of his sleeping bag, as a smile Is breaking through his stern lip. “What is this? What are we doing? What is life? Am I high?”

This whole day was so eventful that Isa is starting to feel whiplash and emotional exhausted.

Zer0

 

[Zer0]

- Frozen Mine -
"Night Time, Mysterious Portal, Heart of Windshear Mountains"​

Moss reemerged from his cocoon, hair askew, face just a little red and looking at Isa good naturedly as though he found their banter fun. "You look tired." He noted with slight amusement. Then he got up. "I'll take first watch tonight, go ahead and sleep, Isa." he ruffled the red head's hair, and began cleaning up the utensils and mess kit, humming what sounded familliarly like one of the songs Isa sang in that tavern in Cascatta 'del Oceano.

Katsuya

 

[Katsuya]

- Frozen Mine -
"Night Time, Mysterious Portal, Heart of Windshear Mountains"​

“I am tired.” Isa muttered, chuckling when Moss ruffled his hair, not coming out from his hands just yet. “For someone who thinks I’m flirting with him, you sure like to touch my hair a lot.” Okay, now he’s teasing. It was weak, but he couldn’t stand that Moss might get the last word.

Then he yawned, letting out a soft hum by the end, and shook his head. “Alright . . . Hopefully I can warm up in my shift.” The redhead rolled his sleeping bag open and snuggled himself inside, not letting the cold air have a chance to chill him. After a hesitating silence, Moss can see Isa placing his gloves outside of his sleeping bag. Tucking his darkened hands back inside quickly like he didn’t want to take a long chance of letting the merman see his entire scar yet.

”Night, Moss.” Isa muttered before tucking his head in the sleeping bag too. “Oh . . . Moss?”

Zer0

 

[Zer0]

- Frozen Mine -
"Night Time, Mysterious Portal, Heart of Windshear Mountains"​

"Goodnight, Isa. Yeah?" He looked up from across the campfire.

Katsuya

 

[Katsuya]

- Frozen Mine -
"Night Time, Mysterious Portal, Heart of Windshear Mountains"​

“I almost forgot to give this back to ya.” Isa pulled his arm out of the sleeping bag, hand covered by his sleeve again. In the middle, would be the opalescent soul shard that the spirit left behind.

”Don’t worry. There’s no soul in this shard. I made sure of that.”


Zer0

 

[Zer0]

- Frozen Mine -
"Night Time, Mysterious Portal, Heart of Windshear Mountains"​

Isa would feel careful fingers pluck the shard from his sleeved palm. "Thank you, Isa." said Moss' voice gratefully. His back turned, he smiled at the shard in his hand. Somehow it felt like a tiny piece of the ocean was with him. He rummaged in his backpack and took out the box of blue volcanic ash Isa had given him and placed the shard inside.

He smiled at the two gifts from Isa, then carefully placed them box back in his bag. He left his vintage oriental kettle and what remained of the soup next to their campfire for when Isa woke up for his shift so that he'll have something to warm him up.

Katsuya

 

[Katsuya]

- Frozen Mine -
"Night Time, Mysterious Portal, Heart of Windshear Mountains"​

“You’re welcome.” Isa yawned again, tucking his arm back inside of his sleeping bag. Wiggling a bit to get comfortable before lying still. Smiling happily as he slowly drifted off to sleep.

When it was his turn for the night watch, the redhead noticed the vintage kettle and touched it. Feeling the heat from within. When he saw that there was warm leftover soup from dinner, Isa looked at Moss. Grateful and touched that he would help keep the redhead warm. That night, as the merman slept, the redhead sat close to the waning fire, staring at the entrance way to their camp. Sipping the Leftover dinner.

The next morning, Moss would find his kettle next to his bag and on top of the redhead’s folded coat. Clean and dried, handled with care.

Zer0

 

[Zer0]

- Next Day -
"Frozen Mine, Mysterious Portal, Heart of Windshear Mountains"​

"That guy . . . " muttered Moss, smiling. He yawned, as he pleasantly checked out his kettle, without grime and those hard to scrub off tea stains in the spout. Now he wants to do something for Isa. Hair askew, he streeetched, spread-eagle on his plush sleeping bag, before sitting up and seeing where Isa was.

Katsuya

 

[Katsuya]

- Next Day -
"Frozen Mine, Mysterious Portal, Heart of Windshear Mountains"​

Speaking of the redhead, he was currently sitting by the other side of the camping site, facing the entrance way and his back towards Moss. His sleeping bag over his head and wrapped around his figure that’s currently swaying a bit, side to side. The merman can hear him humming a random tune as clothes ruffled a bit.

Isa didn‘t notice that Moss had woken up yet.

Zer0

 

[Zer0]

- Next Day -
"Frozen Mine, Mysterious Portal, Heart of Windshear Mountains"​

He grinned, slowly got out of his cot, then like an exaggerated pantomime, tip-toed towards Isa with his fingers outstretched.

Katsuya

 

[Katsuya]

- Next Day -
"Frozen Mine, Mysterious Portal, Heart of Windshear Mountains"​

Just as Moss got close enough to reach out, Isa turned around and-

That wasn’t Isa’s face-! That’s not Isa’s face!

Within the sleeping bag cocoon, is a ghastly woman. Her lips peeled back, more so when she smiled, revealing her very grey and black teeth. Her eyes were black with white pinpricks staring back at the merman. Long, ratty blonde hair plumed out in a cascade. Her breath puffed out in a white cloud. Threads of saliva stretched as she opened her mouth.

”Gooood morniiiing, Mooosssssssss~” she greeted.

Zer0

 

[Zer0]

- Next Day -
"Frozen Mine, Mysterious Portal, Heart of Windshear Mountains"​

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!" Moss clapped a hand over his own mouth. "Isa? Isa? I-is this your true form??"

Katsuya

 

[Katsuya]

- Next Day -
"Frozen Mine, Mysterious Portal, Heart of Windshear Mountains"​

“Pfft-!” Her high pitched hiss became deeper and muscular-sounding as Isa chuckled. The illusion burned away with blue fire, revealing a familiar cheeky grin, wild red hair, and cat-like indigo eyes. His skin color was back to being peachy pale again, and his cheeks flushed pink.

”Hehehe- n-no. It’s not.” Isa covered his mouth with his scarred hand as to keep his own laugh down. He wasn’t wearing gloves this time. “I was wearing an illusion to scare off whatever small demon that comes in here.”

Zer0

 

[Zer0]

- Next Day -
"Frozen Mine, Mysterious Portal, Heart of Windshear Mountains"​

"Well, I'm pretty sure that it worked." said Moss, putting a hand on his rapidly beating heart. "O, my heart, my little heart. It's going babooom, babooom, baboom." he chuckled. "I thought that face was your real face, like how those are your real hands." he nodded at the red-head's hands. Moss' reaction to them was normal this time. "Your face is truly your real face, right? You're really a man, right? Not some sort of eldritch being?" he leaned, peering closely at him, and then poking his cheek.

Katsuya

 

[Katsuya]

- Next Day -
"Frozen Mine, Mysterious Portal, Heart of Windshear Mountains"​

Isa sat still and uncovered his grinning mouth, letting Moss examine him to confirm and calm his fears. Leaning his cheek towards on Moss’ poking finger; his cheek felt warm and surprisingly soft.

“Yes. This is my real face. Yes, I’m a man, not some eldritch being.”

He was secretly happy and pleased that Moss is not reacting to his hands this time. Just his illusion. “Ahh. Well, I’m pretty sure you’ll recognize me —- I haven’t fully turned into a demon before and I’m hoping to never reach that point.”

Zer0

 

[Zer0]

- Next Day -
"Frozen Mine, Mysterious Portal, Heart of Windshear Mountains"​

"I hope you don't." said Moss somberly, satisfied that Isa indeed was Isa and not an alien. He then clapped his other hand on Isa's opposite cheek and smooshed his face for a good minute before letting go."Is there a cure for that, by the way?"

He went over to their campfire to poke and fan the flames back to life. He took down some of the erupe meat hanging from the rope clothesline yesterday and placed it in the half-cover-half-makeshift pan of his mess kit and waited for the metal to heat up.

Katsuya

 

[Katsuya]

- Next Day -
"Frozen Mine, Mysterious Portal, Heart of Windshear Mountains"​

Isa grunted as Moss squished his cheeks, forcing him to pucker his lips, and close his eyes. He rapidly tapped Moss’ arm that whole minute and sighed in relief when he did. His cheeks flushed red with a light imprint of Moss’ hands.

At the question, the redhead hummed and swayed side to side again. Pondering. “I-I don’t know. My sect‘s elders would have taught it to us if there was. “ He sighed, ruffling his own hair in his distress.

”But I think my uncle knows. He‘s the one who made me like this in the first place and I have a feeling that he’s not going to tell me.” Isa growled that last part before huffing again, shuffling himself closer to the fire pit. “Like always . . .”

Zer0

 

[Zer0]

- Next Day -
"Frozen Mine, Mysterious Portal, Heart of Windshear Mountains"​

"What?" said Moss sharply. "I thought a demon had done that to you . . . In a way that's true. . ." he poked the fire angrily. He glared at Isa's hands, then picked up his oriental kettle. "I'll get water for us, I'll be back in ten minutes." he ruffled his hair, gently this time.

Katsuya

 

[Katsuya]

- Next Day -
"Frozen Mine, Mysterious Portal, Heart of Windshear Mountains"​

“Well I mean- ngh.” Isa closed his eyes, surprised that Moss’ ruffles was a touch softer. Then he stared at the merman, blinking owlishly.

”O-Okay.” As the redhead watched his friend walk out of the campsite, he curled his knees and tucked his head on top. Pondering if he should tell the whole truth, his reasoning for chasing after his uncle. Would it be too soon? Would it be too much for Moss? It’s too much for Isa and he’s the one living in this nightmare. Always being careful to not be angry or agitated enough to feel the demonic poison flowing through his veins again and amplifying his anger tenfold.

Isa already knew that if Moss asked him about his reasoning, he would tell him everything he needed to know.

So with that resolve in mind, the teen stayed by the fire and breathed. Meditating to calm his anger from talking about his uncle.

Zer0